Fade to Black (The Mallet Book 1) Read online

  “Yes,” Haadiya said. “I am aware of this incident.”

  “You have anything for us?” Rick asked. “We don’t have it officially yet, but it’s always good to have a head start.”

  “You must wait for the official word,” Haadiya said. He flicked a gaze around the room again.

  Nothing had changed. No one sat near enough to overhear their conversation. Amanda was the closest, and she was on the comm-link. Haadiya always made a big deal about security. Sofie’s own contact, Nhu Eckerman, the liaison to the Ruiz family, was much more straightforward. Sofie couldn’t help suspecting Haadiya put on an act for them. He behaved as if he was important enough to have enemies everywhere looking to attack him, but no one would cross an Executive for fear of retribution.

  “I came to say this is complicated and you must strive to find the right solution. And find it fast.”

  Rick wasn’t asking questions. Leaving it to me?

  Haadiya wouldn’t be here if he only wanted to issue a warning. The comm-link worked well enough for that and could be made secure.

  “Is there a wrong solution?” she asked. “I mean, someone committed some crime. Our job is to find that person and turn them over to the judges. Seems pretty clear.”

  He gave her a smile that carried so much superiority she wanted to walk away. Only the chance he might have good information kept her from turning her back.

  “There are crimes and perpetrators, and there are victims. In this case, your victim is the complication. It is vital that you start the investigation with the right goal in your minds.”

  Sofie looked away before she said anything that could get her reprimanded. Insulting anyone of a higher rank was an infraction worthy of dismissal. It was possible that Haadiya wouldn’t report her. He must like their interactions because he turned up on a regular basis, but she couldn’t take that risk. She needed to keep this job. She wouldn’t survive in Maintenance or Manufacturing with her condition.

  “Thanks for the heads-up, Haadiya.” Rick stood, his height making Haadiya look up. Not an insult unless the Executive decided it was. “We knew it was different. I’m sure everyone will be satisfied with our result.”

  Again, Haadiya scanned the room. “If you require any help, I have been assigned as your liaison to the Sato family in this matter. Please take advantage of the offer. I can clear the way for you.”

  He turned and strode out of the bullpen. A heavily built man in dark clothes stepped in beside him as he hit the walkway.

  “Does he think we’re incapable of reading the subtext?” Sofie stood and picked up her canteen. “I need a refill. You want anything?”

  Rick was still staring out to the walkway. “No. I’m good.”

  “You think he meant something else?” Sofie asked. “I don’t trust him, but…”

  Rick shrugged and turned back to her. “He knows we aren’t naive. I don’t think he was talking about the case. Or not the crime we’ll be assigned to. It was a warning to keep our findings to the reported crime.”

  “Something more than the usual skimming, graft, and corruption?” No crime on the Mallet stood alone. Everyone had their petty secrets, and as long as they didn’t threaten the safety of the station, no one minded.

  “We don’t need this,” Rick said. “We never do. One day we’ll get a case that doesn’t come covered in slime.”

  Sofie laughed at the idea that the Mallet would clean up its act enough to make Rick’s prediction come true. Hell was hell, and it never got any better for the people doomed to live there.

  4

  Sofie made a new pot of stim-juice, added flavor to her cup, and returned to her workspace. This was the first time she’d been between cases, paperwork caught up, waiting for news.

  “Allen, Holdom, Mwendwa, my office, now.” The bellow came from Captain Llewelyn.

  Why not just me and Rick?

  Sofie let the others get ahead of her. That way she’d be the closest to the exit if the captain wanted to yell at someone. Not that she’d slip out, but it was nice to have the option.

  “Shut the door,” Captain Llewelyn said. “This is for you three only. Sofie, you’re lead. Rick, do your usual thing as her partner, and Mwendwa, you’re the backup.”

  “Why do we need a backup?” Sofie asked, the fear that he had somehow learned about her condition screeching in the back of her mind. He thought she’d have an attack in the middle of the case.

  No. If the captain knew, she’d be off the force. Lying about something like the Fades put everyone in danger. There was no predicting what she’d do during a blackout.

  “This is high profile. You’ll understand when I give you the details.” The captain hit a button on his pad and the blinds sealed.

  Sofie felt the pressure on her ears that signaled a soundproof space. No one would be looking in, and no one would hear even if they lurked outside the door.

  Rick took a chair and leaned back casually. “Okay, I guess it’s going to come with all kinds of interference.”

  Amanda sat in the other chair, leaving Sofie to lean against the wall. Fine with me.

  “Is this investigation supposed to be secret?” she asked. “It’s hard enough to solve high-profile cases, but if we can’t ask questions for fear of word getting out, then we have no chance.”

  The captain flicked an image onto the wall screen. A man, lying in a pool of his own blood — not a lot of it, but enough to confirm he was beyond saving. His black skin was already taking on the matte look of the dead. Sofie could see the door of a recycle chute. A service recess?

  Sofie knew that face. “Oswald Sato? That’s going to cause a shit storm until the new Sato Pratham is in place. Did the maintenance mech report it?”

  “A tip, non-traceable. Now you understand,” the captain said. “This level of privacy is for our protection. Just go ahead and investigate like normal. Well, maybe with a little more respect shown to the Elites.”

  “So, what happened?” Rick asked.

  “Found early this morning shift. In the Maintenance section. Techs are done with the location. I ordered the body moved to the medical bay for autopsy right away.”

  “I like to see the scene first,” Sofie said. “I guess leaving him there invites people to mess with the evidence while no one is looking.” No one really liked any Elite, but Sato made a point of treating people like objects. The body would have been covered in excrement and urine within minutes of being found if it wasn’t protected. “How bad was it?”

  “We got the call fast enough,” the captain said. “No one touched it, as far as the techs can see.”

  Seeing the body in place sometimes told a story. “Holos?”

  “More than you need. They’re all uploaded now. Some are still missing details, but I’ve been promised it’s the top priority.” The captain looked at her. “We’ve had this for three hours,” he said. “I’ve been dealing with the Sato Second most of that time. The fight for Oswald’s standing as Pratham is already getting vicious. You’d think the Elite families would figure out succession before it became a crisis.”

  The Elites like the bloodbath — literal and political. “Cause of death?”

  “Not official, but the hole in his skull gives us a hint.” He put another image on the screen. The body was turned on its side, the ragged hole in the back of the head already flaking with dried blood.

  Amanda glanced at Sofie before saying, “He’s big. It looks like someone took him by surprise. Or, maybe doped?”

  The glance from Amanda before she spoke was a subtle dig at Sofie, hinting she wasn’t asking the right questions. She’s a good detective. Maybe if she dropped all the infighting for promotion, she’d get somewhere.

  “Any chance it was from within the family?” Rick asked. “Wouldn’t be the first time a Pratham was assassinated to create an opening.”

  Sofie wanted to get back to her desk and start assigning tasks. They weren’t going to make any progress sitting here. “They would
have hidden the body. Unless the killer wasn’t a Sato. Maybe a Ruiz, or a Choi? Any of the nine families are capable. If an Elite is the killer, we’ll be saddled with a scapegoat.” Sofie pushed the idea to the back of her mind. It was far too early to start pointing fingers. “Is there anything else we need to know, sir?”

  “I’m not going to tell you to be careful how you proceed. You already know this is going to be a fucking nightmare. I have two pieces of advice and one order. The order is to never leave me in the dark. I need to answer the questions I get from the other Prathams.”

  Sofie nodded. All the Elite families would be trying to take advantage of Oswald’s death. The Sato businesses would be disrupted until the new Pratham was selected. Disruption meant opportunity.

  “The advice?” she asked.

  “Don’t be afraid to ask the Sato Second for help. She’ll want the crime solved quickly. Just remember she might not care if it’s solved right. Keep Amanda apprised and use her.”

  The last bit surprised Sofie. It was no secret that Amanda didn’t like her, but she thought she’d covered her own dislike well.

  “Of course. I’m grateful to have the help.” And perhaps Rick can pair up with Amanda to keep her off my back.

  “Okay, dismissed.” The captain released the privacy screening and turned back to his pad as though they’d already left the room.

  Sofie reserved a case room as they walked back to their desks. “Meet me in room Alpha in five,” she said.

  By the time Rick and Amanda arrived, the crime scene images were displayed on the wall. The captain had been right about the number. Too many to make sense of in a short time.

  “Amanda, you need to look through all the information uploaded from the techs. We can’t deal with the onslaught.”

  “I can do the autopsy too,” she said. “We need to be there when they cut him open, but I don’t remember the last time it produced anything useful.”

  “Good. Rick and I need to talk to the Sato Second. I’ll get that appointment. Then I think we need to go to the scene.”

  “I don’t want to be stuck in here acting like an administrator,” Amanda said. “I need to be out in the field.”

  That was why she never seemed to make progress in her race to a promotion. Sofie knew her own skills didn’t lie in the political arena, but even she knew why Amanda was on the team.

  “The captain thinks it’s going to get violent,” she said. “You’re here to be ready to take over if one of us is injured. And someone needs to be the liaison between us and the Elites.”

  Amanda smiled at that. Making contacts at the top level would help her get somewhere. “Okay. Just keep me up to date, right?”

  Rick stood facing the images flicking in and out on the wall. “I think you’ll be keeping us up to date,” he said. “You might find the answers in all this data.”

  5

  The Sato Second answered Sofie’s call herself. Not the normal wait of a few days to talk to a gatekeeper who would delay as long as possible before setting an appointment.

  “I expected your call.” June Sato smiled at Sofie from the monitor for a moment until she must have remembered the Pratham was dead, and she should only show contained sadness. At that point her expression went blank.

  She was beautiful. Most of the Elite were, either from genetic manipulation or surgical intervention. Her dark skin was unwrinkled even though Sofie knew she must be middle-aged, somewhere around seventy years old. Running the administrative side of a powerful family put her in a position to alter the entire station’s future. Probably why Seconds never ran for Pratham. The skills needed to grow the family businesses were very different from those to manage them.

  “My partner and I need to meet with you,” Sofie said. She was trying hard not to come across as someone frightened of power, but anyone who wasn’t deserved to be shoved out an airlock. “We need some background. Nothing intrusive, I assure you.”

  “Perfectly understandable,” June said. “I can be in the meeting space in fourteen hours.”

  That was three hours after their shift, but important cases didn’t run on a regular schedule. She had plenty of meds, so no need to worry about having an attack.

  “Thank you. Please send the link.”

  “Until tomorrow then,” June said, already glancing away from the screen to something more urgent.

  “That was fast,” Amanda said without looking up from her pad. “Think it means she’ll help?”

  Sofie almost didn’t bother to answer. Amanda wasn’t naive, so she was probably testing Sofie. “I hope she doesn’t get in our way,” Sofie said. “That’s helping, right?”

  Amanda smirked and then lost interest in anything outside the contents of her screen.

  “We should go look at the site,” Sofie said to Rick. “Even with the body gone, we might see something helpful.”

  “The techs are still there,” Rick said. “You know they won’t let us near the scene.”

  Sofie couldn’t sit still any longer. This was an important case and needed solving before the Satos started a war to find the killer.

  “We’ll see. But if we can’t get close enough, we can try to find witnesses.” Not that many people would be eager to point a finger at the killer — more likely they would be celebrating the death.

  The comm-link flashed. Amanda reached for it, mumbled a greeting, and then snapped into perfectly straight posture. “Yes, she’s here.”

  She handed the headset to Sofie. “Lilianna Ruiz.”

  The Ruiz Pratham. Shit. If every Pratham pokes their nose into the situation, the killer will never get caught.

  “Ma’am.” Sofie kept her words short and respectful. Not engaging with the woman was the safest way to get her off the call.

  “Detective Allen.” The voice was soft and gentle. A woman too refined to be affected by the evil in the world. Her image showed a delicate face, fair skin, fair hair, almost like some creature of the old myths of fairies and elves, but her green eyes were hard, ruining the effect. “I’m calling to offer my family’s assistance, should you find it helpful.”

  Assistance? Yeah, more likely to be a spy or someone to shift suspicions onto a Ruiz rival. Otherwise, her Second would be calling.

  “That is kind,” Sofie said. “We currently have no questions or requests for assistance.”

  “Of course, you started the investigation only minutes ago.”

  The woman wasn’t playing the same game as Sofie. Her next move was supposed to be a kind word and then the end of the call. She was fishing for something.

  “There is one question,” Sofie said. If she couldn’t dodge the Pratham, maybe an attempt to get information would be fruitful — even if Ruiz just hung up.

  “Anything,” Ruiz said.

  “Do you have any idea why someone would kill a Pratham? The Sato one in particular, or anyone in that position.”

  Hopefully something more than the fact that Oswald was rich, powerful, and nasty. Because that pretty much summed up every single Pratham, including the soft-spoken Lilianna Ruiz.

  “I hope it is not political,” Ruiz said. “The lower classes are always dissatisfied. They are good people, I’m sure, but also envious of our position, and I hear rumors of a growing level of… discontent. The Sato family has fingers in all kinds of enterprises. They are… not selective in their business. Perhaps a partner?”

  “Another Pratham?” Sofie let the question slip out without thinking. Was Ruiz trying to shut down another family by threatening their Pratham? Ruiz could be trying to prepare Sofie for some very high-level interference — the case already carried political weight. And did she really believe anyone living on the Mallet was ever content?

  The laugh that came through the comm-link was a tinkle of delicate sounds. “Oh, I doubt anyone in my position would stoop to murder. Or, at least not such gross violence when a simple poison would do the job without raising suspicion.”

  Only someone so powerful as to be un
touchable would make that joke during a murder investigation. The death of one Pratham might not be isolated. This unrest that Ruiz worried about, could it be a cover for something more serious?

  “If you think it’s a partner, do you know what business Pratham Sato was engaged in? Who the partner was?”

  There was a long pause and Sofie wondered why Ruiz mentioned a partner when she wasn’t ready to hand over names.

  “I don’t know,” Ruiz finally said. “It shames me to say there is something important that I am ignorant of, but there it is.”

  “Then I thank you for your offer of help. We will keep it in mind as we follow the clues we find.”

  “I understand you are busy,” Ruiz said. “Please contact our Executive representative, Nhu Eckerman, if you need anything. If your request is of a… delicate nature, you can use this comm code to reach me directly.”

  Why is she pretending I don’t know who Nhu is? Now I can’t trust my usual source of information because she’s being manipulated. “We will. Thank you, Pratham.”

  Lilianna Ruiz ended the call with all the expected niceties.

  “You ready?” Rick asked. “Or has the Pratham ordered you to do something?”

  “Let’s go. Maybe we’ll get lucky and find this evil partner lurking in Maintenance, drooling over the evidence of his crime.”

  She gave Amanda and Rick a summary of the call and led Rick out of the bullpen.

  “You think Nhu is going to screw us?” Rick asked. “You want to ignore them when they make contact?”

  Sofie turned right into the passageway leading to the Maintenance area. “You trust Haadiya?”

  “Never,” Rick said with a grunt. “But he gives me some good leads. I just have to peel back a few layers of self-interest and deniability to get there.”

  “Same with Nhu,” Sofie said. “They’re just better at seeming trustworthy than Haadiya.”

  “Never had a Pratham involved in an investigation before,” Rick said.

  “Has anyone? I think she wants to throw a little shit on the Satos while they’re vulnerable. If an Elite family is ever vulnerable.” It was going to be hard to keep her mind on the crime with all the interference.